The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-12
THE FARM.
SHEEP IN WINTER.

SHEEP IN WINTER.
The most important part OF the care OF
sheep is the winter feeding. The summer
feeding on pasture is free from risks 80
long as very simple precautions are taken
to avoid wet low land, 10 provide pure
water and shade in the hottest weather
But in the winter everything goes against
the sheep; the confinement is unnatural,
the dry feeding provokcs disease, and grain
feeding is opposed to the habits oil the ami
mails. Pure fresh air, a dry knoll, plenty
Of suitable food, pure water, are better for
flock than confinement in close, warm
stable where the air is foul and unwhoe-
some. Last winter portion OF the writ
cr's flock was permitted TO occupy piece
OF open woods with dense thicket on one
side, through which flowed n pure spring
brook, which was 50 warm as not 10 freeze
in the coolest weather; the rest were kept
in a large yard with an open shed in IT,
and were fed on good clover hay ad lib
ltum, with half u pint OF corn daily for
each sheep. The exposed sheep were
fed only hay and tops OF corn with
some small nubbns on il. They came
out In the spring in far better condition
than the others, reared their lambs better
and cost less than One-third ~ much to
feed. Similar experience during many
ycas with various breeds OF sheep has
proved that, rs compared with contino-
mcnt in close shed and yard, an open
field with the simplest shelter, even no
more than a fence corner, Is preferable.
But the most careful shepherds will pro.
vide the best facilities for the care Of the
flock, and these comprise dry, rOomy
yard, annexed 10 a field or wood lot with
an open shed in which the sheep may
shelter in cold, rainy weather, or when
they may be disposed 30 10 do, and pro-
Vidcd with water drawn from well. The
shed and yard should be- kept well Uttered,
and the litter and manure may accumulate
through the winter without damage 10 the
sheep. The iVsh straw thrown down will
be picked over aud the best Of IL eaten,
aud serve Tor the roughness which the
sheep need.
The feeding, however, is the most par
] icular part OF the winter management.
Overlooking is productive 81 various dis
opivrs arising irom indigestion, such rs
scratches this il the result Of custive-
ness. cong,stcd skin, which causes the
! WOOL Ia fall of In patches; cough, which
/ results in disorder oi the lungs and en-
/ cuuu,g,'s those Troublesome parasites. which
produce quickly, destroy the flock, and
which. gaining access 20 the lambs frOm
Z the older sheep, produce that fatal disease
commonly known ~ "pining,' paper
/ skin. OF aucmia. which is nothing less
I than impoverished blood due 10 insult
! ciUnt oxidation, resulting frOm impaired
| respiration. Indigestion Is not always the
I p',ul, ui overlooking. irrcgularity ol feed
I INC proVokes 10 and ~ dos unsuhsiantial
food. Aud sheep require the most ngu-
| lar and suitable feeding. Clover hay l. the
I best staple food. hut that it NAV beaten up
[ close and without wasie.it should be- cut
early and while the stems arr tender and
cured ~ quickly ~ possible. The finest
and shortest grass hay is the best; r'd top
and orchard grisS moWn whcrf not mon
than foot high makes excellent feeding.
and W. have found that cat straw, pea
straw aud corn fodder cut into chat h
eaten very rapidly, and is exceedingly
hoalthful. Sheep love a mixed heritage.
picking here a little and thcrc little, and
~ u mixed fodder j. most palatahlc tO
them. The h0urs 81 feeding should bc the
same every day. Thr,c meals a day ART
usual, but We have found two 10 be- better.
To divide the day and night into three
periods of eight hours each and feed three
times day would make the feeds come at
q % clock ia the morning. O'Clock in the
afternoon and 10 o clock at night. As il Is
usual for the shepherd 10 be around his
stock the last thing at night before rctir-
ing. these hours Of feeding are 10y no
means inconycnient. They may be- varied
n . o'clock a.m. and and o'clock pm,
and leave eight hours intervals between
meals This regularity Is 10 ncediul
when sheep arr being fed for profit that
We believe IL will pay well 10 make the
change. Sheep like 10 feed often; they are
up aud feeding aud then nesting several
times a day when nc pasture, and little and
often nj time enables them 10 digest more
food and assimilatc il more probably than
when the stomach h filled 10 rcpletion and
longer intervals clap-c between foods when
the stomach il empty aud the system be-
comes exhausted. This principle Of ire
qucnt light feeding has been found dcsim.
Die and profitable for all animals and IL one
upon which the building up OF weak and
invalid persons has been always practiced
! by physicians AMI nurses
The feeding Of grain Ia sheep IL a matter
/ i1r careful management. Sheep are really
hcrbiyorous aud grain feeding is an ari-
fetal condition with them. We have found
the feeding Of whole grain 90 the flock On
mas-c, or all together, contributes 10 over.
rapid eating in the greedy haste Ia gvt more
than due share, and fits Of choking
are likely to happen, which are injurious
and wnste all the benefit expected from
the grain. Hence Il il better Ia give what
gmin l. Ia be- ied gruund and mixed with
cut chan slightly moistcncd, ~ that Il ].
eaten slowly aud masticaicd thoroughly
Corn IL not good food for siccp. They
need q good deal II nitrogen, which gOc,
20 make up the fleece Wool contains near
~ ~ par cent OF nitrogen. This is equiv
alcnt 20 one pound Ia q six aud onc.hal
pound fleece OF pure wool. TIL, nitrogen
must he supplied In the food or the ilccc,
will suffer. and the various defects M Often
found Ia wool are due Ia this cause NOR,
than any other. The weak spots Ia IN,
wool. which cause what u known ~
"brcak," aud reduce the value 1T IN,
fleece 40 greatly, arr thus produced, an,
~ nntuU makes nn increased effort Ia sup
ply warmth IN thc winter by hcav,
I growth ui the protecting cuy the nnimn
, itself suffers Tor this want of sufficiently
varied element Hence peas, clover ha
. aud little linsccd meal should AWAY
, form part ol the winter nation, with cat.
, ryc, buckwhrat aud coarsrly cracked corr
|, IN an even mixture. Ncw i0rk NB,1.
ON TIME Robbery 90 mrs.
\ The old system Vt wholesale robbery q